We're Back from the ATL

For our loyal readers who were wondering where we have been, then answer is - Atlanta! My friend Susan was married this past weekend in Hotlanta and I was the Matron of Honor and Eva was the Flower Girl. And we are not without some stories!

We arrived on Wednesday after an uneventful plane flight (with extra room so Eva was able to fly in her carseat). Ok, well other than the nasty dude sitting in front of us who kept making air noises every time that Eva got cranky (she needed a nap so she was a bit out of sorts until she fell asleep and he needed to let out a great big sigh each time she made any noises!) it was uneventful! We got the rental car - a black Dodge Caravan - this thing seriously rocked. Automatic everything and a DVD player - I was like, can I take this thing home?!

Our hotel, the Courtyard Marriot in Roswell seemed nice from the pictures and when we got there I thought, oh wow, this place is really nice. We had decided to book a suite for Matt and Eva and I to give us a place to hang out when she was napping and then got the adjoining room for my parents. They had a crib (we will get to that) and we had asked for that in the room. Plus we had a small fridge and a microwave which was perfect (and a huge TV and internet service, so Matt was very happy). Once we got there and checked in and got to our room I promptly found a cockroach in our bathroom, which I immediately squashed. See evidence:

Then my father found dirty black thong underwear stuck between the doors of the adjoining rooms. So just as we were beginning to feel as if we were staying in the Ritz Carlton (NOT) we discover there is no crib. Ok, so my mom calls the front desk and asks that they have the crib brought up to the room. About 15 minutes later this man shows up with a tiny pack and play. Yeah, I have an almost two-year-old child and we are staying for 5 nights. And your website says "crib". That is not an f-ing crib. It is like sleeping in a small tent over a rock. So we decided to call around and find out if you can rent a crib since the Marriot seems to think our standards are beyond them and refused to help us find one. So we called a service named "Babies Away" that rents equipment for babies who are traveling away from home. Later that night it was off to Susan's parents' home for dinner. After we got home, my father showed his strength by pulling the door knob completely off the door!

Unfortunately, we didn't hear back from Sue on Wednesday so we decided to see how it went that night. NOT WELL! After a relatively sleepless night for Matt, Eva and myself we called Sue from Babies Away again on Thursday. Luckily we heard back from her and she delivered and set up the crib on Thursday while we were enjoying a pre-wedding get-together at Susan and Murry's place. Speaking of this get-together, we had an interesting tour around Atlanta as our GPS couldn't find its you-know-what with both hands and had us in the Atlanta ghetto! Thank god for Murry and his friend Chris who got us out of the ghetto and over to Susan and Murry's lovely townhome - which was all the more lovely after what we had seen!

Oh yes, back to the wedding. So Susan married this guy named Murry (well, his name is sort of Murry). It is Murry to his friends and to Susan and her friends and family and Ryan to his family and close family friends. Why you may ask? Because his name is Murry Ryan and his parents had called him Ryan from birth. His friends renamed him Murry after they found out his real first name (sort of as a joke at first but then it stuck)! So that was a slightly confusing issue!

To backtrack a bit, we met up with Jim, a friend of Susan's from Dublin, Ireland and spent a great deal of quality time with him the whole weekend. He was great with Eva! She really enjoyed her "Uncle Jim!!" Jim was lucky enough to be with us in the family truckster when we took the tour of Atlanta! He was nice enough to continue to hang out with us despite the ghetto tour! Here is Eva with Grandma and "Uncle Jim" at the hotel pool!

Friday was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. My parents were nice enough to bring Eva to the rehearsal so she could practice being a flower girl but then take her home since the dinner was late and she would not have gotten enough sleep. The dinner was a Louisiana style cajun meal that was supposed to be on this outdoor patio at Murry's family's favorite restaurant, however, the weather was iffy so they moved it to the clubhouse at their housing complex that is at least covered on top. It was fun but they don't call it Hotlanta for nothing! Tara (Susan's bridesmaid) and I were able to ensure that no one else at the rehearsal dinner was bitten by any mosquitos as we took many for the team!

Saturday, the day of the wedding went relatively smoothly. I did Susan's hair for the wedding (tradition!) and it actually came out quite nice if I do say so myself. My hair was another story, but whatever it was her wedding!! There was a slight disaster with the flowers as they froze the night before and all had to be replaced! Yikes, mother of the bride to the rescue! Eva picked her first day ever to not take a nap so I was terrified that she would freak out during the ceremony. But she was actually quite good even though she wanted to wander around the church and to my horror did spend a few seconds hopping up and down on the place Susan and Murry were supposed to kneel on during the communion portion of the service! If I ever figure out how to add videos to this blog I will post a bit of video from the wedding. Eva was able to party with the rest of us until relatively late into the evening at the reception. My parents were again nice enough to bring her home so that Matt and I could spend some quality adult time at the reception.

On Sunday it was off to breakfast at Susan's parents' home. We were able to see some of the pictures from the wedding (thanks Joanna) and talk about the week's festivities. It was so nice to have the quality time to spend with Susan and Murry and Susan's family and friends. We really enjoyed all of our visiting time.

On Monday we were off to the airport relatively early (with "Uncle Jim" getting up early to give us an Irish send off!). We got to the airport with relative ease but then we were stuck waiting for a wheelchair for my mom (back issues - long story) and finally made it to the gate with seconds - literally - to spare! I had to pee on the plane because there was no time. So this flight - not as successful as the last one! The flight was FULL FULL FULL - no empty seats. Which meant Eva - who had woken up at 4:30 in the morning (don't even ask) and had taken no nap was a LAP CHILD! AAAH! She was actually better than I thought she would be since she was able to lap hop between Dada, Mama and Papa (my mom was across the aisle). We got to the airport in Newark and I was exhausted and ready to get our bags and go home. I had this gnawing concern about my luggage, though. Apparently my concern was not misplaced as we got all the bags but one - my suitcase! No where to be found!! Oh yes, they lost my bag and I had to file a claim and wait for them to call and tell me they found it. "Sorry Ma'am, we don't know if it ever got on the plane or if it is still in Atlanta or went elsewhere in error." SUPER! Luckily they found it and delivered it to me late that night (after I was asleep, I might add - but thankfully my family was awake to get it off the front porch!).

In addition to my lost luggage, Eva was complaining that her ear hurt so off to the doctor we went and found out that she had an ear infection. The fun never stops!

It Only Takes a Pillow - Problem Solved

No, I didn't suffocate her with it to get her to sleep - I used it as a transitional object. She is really obsessed with this cute little fleece pillow that I use on her changing table so tonight I suggested that she could bring it with her to bed IF she did not scream and cry and get upset and just went to sleep. She said, "Yuh" so I thought - score! And believe it or not, tonight it worked! Bribery with a pillow - nice work Mommy!

The Girl Who Cried Poop

Recently, every time I try to put Eva down to go to sleep - whether it is a nap or to bed at night - she begins to scream. When I leave the room she cries, "Mama" over and over again. I don't usually go back in unless I think she dropped her Nuk or her froggy on the floor. The only other time I go in is when she says, "Mama poop" since then I know she has gone poop in her diaper and needs to be changed. Well today she decided to say it when there was no poop. So dutifully in I go to change her poopy diaper. Guess what? No poop. So then she tells me she has to "Go potty." Yipee I am thinking - this potty training thing is really going well. So we go out of her bedroom and go sit on the potty. "Bup" she says. Ok, so I give her a book to read while she is on the potty. And then she sits. And sits. And gets up and tells me to leave - so I go. And then I hear her running around. WHAT!? She is supposed to be napping NOT running around the house with no pants on!!! Now I am pissed. I feel so used! So I put her diaper on and put her back to bed. She starts screaming again. Groundhog moment. Then she starts saying, "Mama poop." Nah, not falling for it this time. She is the little girl who cried poop!

Seriously, My Mom Has the Smallest Head!

So, my Mom found her beach hat that she has been looking for and it is in bad shape. Too much time spent in a closet with mildew issues (we have since fixed that issue) so she was lamenting that she needs to look for a new hat. I told her I had the solution for her since there was a hat that we had for Eva that I thought might work great. Ok, so I was kidding - but it just about fit my Mom's head!!

I Caught a Fish and It was This Big!

So Matt and I took Eva fishing on the speed boat this morning as a break from all of the work we have been doing around the house (and to give Papa and Mom Mom a chance to sleep!). She had a blast. Matt caught two fish and she was so fascinated by them! She kept watching him throw out the lure and saying "Where'd go?" Repeatedly about a hundred times even though we kept explaining that it was underwater and Daddy was trying to catch a fish. But "Where'd go?" Whatever - we all had fun.

And we saw a Blue Heron which was a nice treat (I like birds that are pretty as long as they are from a distance!)

I am actually not so big on fishing, though. I always feel bad that Matt is hurting these poor things for fun and then just throwing them back. But then I am glad he throws them back and I don't have to meet the fish I eat!!

Steven Seagull

Ok, anyone who is reading this blog probably knows me well enough to know that I am not so much into birds. Ok, actually they terrify me. So the other day we are sitting out on the deck at the lake house and enjoying the peacefulness and watching the lake go by and all of a sudden I see this bird take off from the forsythia (sp?) bush nearby and start flying directly toward my face. He has this look on his face like he is on a mission and he is flying directly towards me! So, I do what any normal person would do - I scream and duck! So my Mom starts laughing at me and saying - what is wrong with you it is just a bird. To which I replied that he was "Charles Bronson bird" - meaning he had a death wish. But then I realized that he was the aggressOR so I decided to rename him Steven Segal - except since he is a bird he is Steven Seagull. (Yes, I am aware that it is a bit crazy to fear creatures that much smaller than me, but that is why they call it a phobia! And yes I also know all about exposure therapy and the like, but I am perfectly happy being terrified of birds!)

Eva the Little Mermaid

Eva is becoming quite the swimmer! She is working on floating - she can do on her tummy really well and she is learning to keep her legs down and butt up when she floats on her back! Everyone is amazed at how well she has taken to the water. I keep hoping she will develop a bit of healthy fear so she doesn't drown or scare the you-know-what out of me, but at least she likes the water! Here are some pics of my fish!!

It's My Tantrum And I'll Cry If I Want To!

Today we went to the Farmer's Market in Hometown (about 10 minutes from our lake house). This market has everything from vegetables to faux designer purses to chicken to candy - basically everything! I kept telling Eva about how fun it would be to go to the market. So she was excited to go (I think) - hard to tell w/ a toddler. But this morning she would not put on her shirt. She kept running away and saying "I'll help" which actually sounds like "Aul hulp." So I let her "hulp" but she wanted to put it on sideways and bass ackwards so I told her that she had to let me help her get her shirt on or we were not going to the market. She refused. And refused again. To the point that I was about to stay home until she finally seemed to get the idea of "I'm sorry" which sounds like "Sharry" and "Please go" which sounds like "Cheese go." So she said the magic words of "Sharry" and "Cheese" and we were off to the market! Once there she actually seemed to enjoy riding around in the stroller and watching all of the people shop. There are some interesting folks at this market so she had a lot to watch! Then it was time to eat a late breakfast and she wigged out in the middle of this little area where they serve breakfast and have booths and tables. She flipped out because I wanted to fold up her stroller and put it across the room so that we could sit in the booth. Here is the kid that NEVER wants to sit still to eat and she wanted to ride in her stroller strapped in rather than sitting like a big girl in the booth. So she threw a tantrum. Screaming, crying, shoving her fingers in her nose and her mouth until she gagged and then screaming some more. People were stopping to look at her. So finally my pride got the best of me and I took her outside "owshide" for a time out. She continued to flip out for another 5 minutes or so which allowed my parents to order our breakfast. When we went back in she said she was ready to "eeet" and be good so we went about sitting in the booth. She proceeded to squeeze a styrofoam cup of water all over the table and herself (that was fun) and then she sat down to play with the drops of water that I hadn't cleaned up yet since apparently napkins are a luxury around there. Then it was time to eat breakfast. She had about 5 bites of sausage and then decided she was done and we should be done as well. Since none of us were done she proceeded to stand in front of the booth and look at her stroller which was about 5-10 feet away and tucked behind a table for safekeeping and SCREAM her bloody head off. Yeah, it was tantrum time again. So out of the booth I came and "owshide" we went to have another tantrum.

Luckily when we got home from the market (which was not much later I might add) she took a 3 hour nap. Aah, blissful quiet!! So we cleaned out our storage room (how peaceful - NOT). But at least we got a good start on that room.

Tonight she threw a fit when it was time to go to bed. No idea why, just pitched a complete fit. Luckily this time there was no audience!! So it is 5 minutes to 10 p.m. and I feel like it is 2 a.m. My day warranted a sundae so I went to Redners (our local market) to buy supplies. Everyone had one (except for my sleeping tantrumer of course)!! Tomorrow should be a great beach day because it is supposed to be beautiful. Hopefully we will be back to "Yea beach" tomorrow!

Yea Beach!

Today we spent most of the day at the beach. As Eva said about 100 times, "Yea beach!"




She loved carrying the noodles down to the beach (I mean the float type not the spaghetti kind).

Eva is becoming quite the swimmer. However, as my mother has said, "She is the most oral child I have ever seen." She swims, she drinks the water, she swims, she licks the water. GROSS! I keep trying to show her how much stuff floats in a lake. There are fish, there is grass, there are bugs (there is likely bug crap as well but I can't say crap so I mention that fish and bugs go poo)! And still she drinks the damn water - actually I suppose I should say that she drinks the dam water (since it isn't really a lake it is a dam)! Not sure if fish poo is harmful but I hope not!! I even brought juice boxes to the beach (they are not good ways to drink at home since sometimes she squeezes them)! And still we drink the dam water!!!

Eva was watching the other kids swimming very intently and got braver and braver as she watched the older kids in the water. So many of the kids up here are so good with her. If she starts to get upset and seems like she is having trouble swimming where she wants to go, they lead her back to shore. They play with her in the sand. So cute!

I Love it When They Call Me Big "Pa Pa"

Eva has taken to calling my father "Pa Pa". And not just once or twice a day but every second. "Hi Pa Pa." "Pa Pa help." "Hi Pa Pa." "No Pa Pa help." "Pa Pa come." "Pa Pa come play." "Hi Pa Pa." AAAH! I don't think my father knows what to do with being so adored. Seriously, Eva is obsessed with him. No one else can help her get dressed. She wants no one else to give her a new diaper. Just "Pa Pa." My poor mother- I hope she doesn't feel slighted!!

Not So Much In With a Bang!

So the actual 4th of July was a bit of a drag. The whole fam went up to PA for the weekend but the weather hasn't been super. It rained all day today (and not Seattle rain but major soaking rain) so we were inside all day and couldn't go and watch the fireworks at night. There were some at the beach but it wasn't worth shlepping over to see them in that weather. So we set about to getting things done here at the lake house. So we stripped wallpaper in the larger bedroom (fun fun). Luckily it came right off the wall so we didn't have to use a lot of muscle to get it down. But then, SURPRISE, whatever idiots hung the wallboard hung it backwards so we now have to spackle in order to paint the room! DUH. So this weekend will be all about work and not so much about play. But the house is shaping up nicely. Stay tuned! I keep forgetting to take before and after pictures of the house. What a dummy - so now I suppose I will take a few of the in process pics and then the after pics!

This Girl Needs an IPOD!

Ok, so every time Matt wants to listen to his IPOD, Eva takes the ear pieces and puts them in her own ears! I know what Eva wants for X-mas!!

4th of July South River Style

Not sure why South River thinks the FOURTH of July should be held on July 2nd but I think something was lost in translation! Either way, on the 2nd, we went to Jessie's & Chuck's house (our friends/neighbors) to have a BBQ and watch the fireworks. Eva had a great time. She ate corn off the cob! And while all of the other children in South River were screaming and crying as a result of what I told her were "Boom Booms in the sky" she was shrieking with delight. Big fan of the fireworks!

My Mother is a Woman of Leisure!

My mom retired on June 30th! It was her last day of work ever (until the following day when she went to clean the rest of her personal belongings out of her office! Her colleagues are lining up to recruit her to do volunteer work now. I am hoping she can contain her impulse to agree at least for a little while! At her retirement party at work she received a major honor. Prevention Links is a nonprofit organization that does prevention and education in the area of substance abuse. In her honor, Prevention Links has named their resource center (drum roll please) the "Georgene Berg Resource Center". Pretty cool, huh? She actually has a door with her name on it!


Three generations!




The Whole Family!


Eva and the Guest of Honor!